After an abundance of rustic-barnyard and vintage, Anthropologie-esque weddings, event planners are anticipating a wedding-style movement in the complete opposite direction. “We’re predicting less D.I.Y. and more clean, modern lines and color palettes,” says Tara Maxey, co-owner of the Los Angeles-based catering company Heirloom LA. “With all the D.I.Y. wedding details out there, expertly styled minimalism feels like the sophisticated alternative.”
Wedding planners Maria Cooke and Kelly Seizert of Ritzy Bee Events in Washington, D.C., agree: “We’re seeing more couples focusing less on dramatic color and more on classic combinations such as black and white, gray and white, and navy and cream.” The modern-minimalist theme will be reflected in the wedding menu, too: Instead of lavish buffet stations or decadent entrées, couples are moving towards healthier choices and smaller portions. Maxey says, “Gluttony has been overdone.”
Pictured, clockwise from left: Ritzy Bee Events created a reception lounge setup with a clean, neutral color palette; a wedding catered by Heirloom LA incorporated crisp, all-white decor; shooters of vegan carrot panna cotta were served during cocktail hour at a wedding catered by Heirloom LA.
In contrast to the modern-minimalist style, wedding professionals are also predicting a return to formality and dramatic opulence. “Say goodbye to Mason jars and burlap, and say hello to caviar and elegance,” says South Florida-based party planner Sara Renee Lowell of Sara Renee Events. “Wedding vendors are sick of couples bringing in the same rustic, vintage inspiration photos. Opulence is in.”
Which means the return of dramatic floral arrangements on pedestals, gleaming candelabras, and loads of professional lighting (translation: no more simple strands of café lights). For a recent wedding, New York event designer David Stark of David Stark Design and Production created a luxurious reception with a formal French garden theme: Sculpted hedges around the perimeter of the venue and structured dinner table centerpieces were juxtaposed against a lush, romantic canopy of flowers and glowing lanterns suspended overhead.
Pictured: David Stark created a formal French garden theme for a recent wedding reception.
With a smartphone in nearly every guest’s purse or pocket, wedding-day photos are almost guaranteed to appear in real time on social media sites. But more and more couples are politely restricting smartphone usage during the ceremony using cleverly worded signage (displayed at the venue’s entrance or printed in the ceremony program), as well as verbal reminders from the officiant.
“We’re going to see more and more ‘unplugged’ ceremonies in 2014,” says Renny Pedersen, owner of the Chicago-based wedding planning company Bliss Weddings & Events. “Nothing is worse than seeing a beautiful photograph of the bride walking down the aisle marred by a bunch of cameras and iPhones. This way, the wedding photographer is able to get the most important shots, without any unobstructed views.” Bonus: Guests will also be more present during the ceremony.
Pictured: A printed chalkboard sign by DesignSmithPaperArts asked guests to keep their smartphones and cameras in check.
Family-style dinners were a huge trend last year, but they’re actually quite expensive to pull off, and the platters of food require significant table real estate, says Calder Clark of South Carolina-based Calder Clark Designs. So, what’s next? Bar-height tasting stations, where guests receive artfully plated, fork-friendly miniature meals prepared on the spot by stationside chefs. Experts say guests love the variety.
“Today’s couples are serious foodies, and they come bearing recipes and resolute memories from their favorite restaurants,” Clark says. “They want to include them in the reception, and there’s no easier way to do that than with the tasting plate—it’s petite, going back for seconds is totally kosher, and guests are able to be more experimental with unfamiliar foods.”
Pictured: For a wedding designed by Calder Clark, chef Johannes Klapdohr created an elegant tasting plate of Southern fried tomatoes drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar and accented with edible nasturtiums.
Photo booths are practically de rigueur at receptions. But for couples who want something new: Enter the slow-motion video booth. It’s the same idea—guests take turns posing with props like confetti and neon sunglasses. But the station is set up with a video camera; after the wedding, the footage is edited into a slo-mo mini movie trailer and set to a catchy pop tune.
“The result is a keepsake video that captures the fun of the wedding day in a totally different way than stills,” says Rebecca Grinnals of wedding industry consulting firm Engaging Concepts.
Pictured: Production company Super Frog Saves Tokyo creates slo-mo booths.
More couples are opting for unique and casual styles of hand lettering. “Classic calligraphy will continue to be a mainstay, but I think we’ll see hand lettering continue to grow in popularity in 2014,” says Nole Garey, founder and editor of the stationery blog Oh So Beautiful Paper. “It’s whimsical and pretty but also slightly more approachable.”
Like formal calligraphy, each hand-lettered invitation is a custom design, which lets couples create something that conveys their personalities and gives guests a sneak peek at the celebration to come. “Hand lettering is also a wonderful option for a couple that wants something more personal than a font but prefers something more edgy than calligraphy,” Garey says.
Pictured: Ladyfingers Letterpress creates hand-lettered invitations.
Rather than decorating the reception with a slew of blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em D.I.Y. details, couples are more interested in decor that makes a statement. “The 2014 bride is ditching contrivances for oversize ‘wow’ factors like custom dance floors, vast patterned wall installations, and Versailles-worthy furnishings and lighting,” says Clark. “Our client is tired of littering seated tables with tchotchkes and is favoring the mantra ‘go big or go home’—in good taste, of course.”
As a result, couples are asking, “What will catch my guests’ attention when they walk in our tent?” Clark says. “Savvy couples realize that very few will remember custom-colored confetti packets at each place setting, but everyone will remember a nighttime ceremony lit only by 500 luminaries.”
Pictured: For recent wedding, Calder Clark designed an installation that served as a focal point: The 3-D wall was inlaid with boxwood topiaries arranged in a geometric pattern.
It’s every wedding guest’s worst nightmare: sitting next to complete strangers at an assigned reception table. Guesterly, a new publishing company helmed by a former editor at Oprah’s O magazine, aims to alleviate that anxiety by helping guests connect in a fun, unforced way. Through the service, couples can create a custom magazine-style “yearbook” filled with photos and fun facts about guests, along with how they know the bride or groom. Then, the mini magazines are mailed to guests before the wedding or distributed at the ceremony. “It helps breaks the ice and allows for meaningful interaction among guests,” Grinnals says.
Pictured: At the Engage!13 wedding conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, guests were given a custom booklet by Guesterly containing photos and brief bios of each attendee.
The first-ever pop-up shop for men's clothing brand JackThreads will be open through November 12 at 43 Crosby Street in New York. The brand had its pop-up launch party on Wednesday, which featured a "listening wall" from artist Joshua Davis. The checker pattern projection changed to the beats provided by DJ duo Chances With Wolves.
Samsung created culinary experiences for this year's New York City Wine & Food Festival, which took place October 15 to 18. The centerpiece of the brand’s activation at the festival was the Samsung Lounge, an immersive space located at Pier 92. There, attendees enjoyed snacks and one-on-one chef demos, as well as learned about Samsung's new products.
Zohar Productions provided gold and ivory tents at an indoor wedding for Vanessa Williams, which took place July 4 in Buffalo, New York. The handcrafted, custom-made wedding tents were part of the event's Egyptian theme, which also included belly dancers and whirling dervishes.
The Spinal Cord Injury Ontario celebrated its 70th anniversary on October 15 with a gala at the Grand Luxe Event Boutique. The stage was the focus of the ballroom. "We wanted people to feel like they were at a cottage up in Muskoka in Ontario or in Flin Flan, Manitoba," said event manager Lynn Mineque. "We had a dock as an extension of the stage and had live trees and a man-made pond surrounding it." To the side of the dock was a 16-foot canoe, which was part of the live auction.
The evening also included a group singing of the the national anthem, "O Canada." A Mountie (a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police), saluted the country's flag while guest sang and later mingled with guests.
A launch party for the official partnership between Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Major League Baseball took place October 19 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. The event offered personalized baseball caps as swag. The event was produced by DKC Incite.
The Jim Beam Apple launch party took place October 20 at Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel in New York. The event's dark forest-theme design included a structure that resembled an apple tree, decorated with apple-shape cutouts of the whiskey brand's logo.
For his Spring 2016 show on October 6, Karl Lagerfeld transformed the Grand Palais into his very own Chanel airport. In a world where air travel is glamorous, a pristine state-of-the-art Chanel Airlines terminal greeted guests upon arrival—complete with a faux airport exterior.
For what would turn out to be his final show as creative director of Dior, Raf Simons, on October 2, turned the Louvre's palace courtyard into a fragrant blooming peak. Landscape artist Eric Chauvin spent 18 days culling enough delphinium blossoms and soil to create the biodynamic set for the Paris Fashion Week outing.
For its Spring 2016 show during Milan Fashion Week on September 23, Gucci's Alessandro Michele returned to the Scalo Farini, a former train station where the house had previously shown its Spring 2016 menswear line. The outdoor location was decorated with divans in patterns from the collection and an ornate snake-print carpet.
Martha Stewart’s Wedding Party took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chicago on March 22. At a vendor showcase held in the ballroom, Elysia Root Cakes showcased elaborate, multitiered confections decorated with edible flowers. Frosted in a pale purple hue, another cake was sculpted to look like a stage with its curtains drawn back.
The Martha Stewart event also featured playful ideas for signature drinks. One such libation, the Cottontail, was made with two types of vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, apricot liqueur, fresh mint, and bitters; it was served in a Collins glass.
The Revel Group in Chicago hosted "Revel Provocateur," a dinner for the area's top event planners, on March 30 at Revel Downtown. Decked in black hues and Gothic-style decor, the event eschewed seating cards and instead printed guests' names on the back of chairs.
Masked servers roamed Revel's event during the cocktail hour. The evening's design was inspired by "a fashionable twist on a fairytale, with hints of mystery and sex appeal," said a company rep. The servers held an appetizer known as the "Vegetable Garden," which comprised raw spring vegetables with a trio of dips.
The dinner menu, which was prepared by Limelight, appeared in a gobo on the floor of the dinner space. To enhance the evening's intended vibe, fog swirled over the illuminated signage. Items listed included egg yolk and fresh ricotta raviolo, pan-seared loup de mer, and "Salad Under Glass" made with Humboldt Fog goat cheese.
At each place setting, sleek black boxes tied with silver ribbons held candles from Voluspa.
Be Inspired PR hosts and produces the Tassels and Tastemakers event twice each year for event and wedding industry professionals, plus media, bloggers, and other influencers. The most recent iteration on March 25 brought a Western theme to Carondelet House in Los Angeles. The event offered lounge seating under a lacy canopy.
Underscoring the theme of Tassels and Tastemakers, dream catchers hung throughout the space. The ethereal decorations had woven-in hashtags that encouraged guests to post pictures to social media.
In Toronto, Weddingbells magazine celebrated its 30th birthday with a bash at the Design Exchange on April 1. The event featured prominent branding with illuminated letters flanking the DJ booth; the dance floor also showcased the magazine's name and milestone anniversary.
Drawing on the event's signature hue, its dessert table offered light purple miniature cupcakes, swirled lollipops, and more.
Other desserts included macarons in nontraditional flavors such as chocolate-sesame and chai latte.
Weiss and her team sourced vintage furniture—a dresser, lamp, and chair—and Mark's Garden planted them with succulents and other greenery to create a dramatic, organic look for a display.
Guests created their own terrariums using succulents, moss, and twigs for a D.I.Y. take on the living elements trend.
A room with heavy draping by Revelry showcased a lace-topped table, which also served as Instagram bait for the social media-minded guests. Social media prompts on the floor encouraged and guided their posts.
A lace runner topped the feminine table, where lace also covered chairs in varying styles and flowers included surprising and romantic choices such as jasmine buds.
Weiss used jewel-toned colors accented with gold to demonstrate the color-blocking trend.
To further illustrate the color-blocking trend, Weiss and Wedding Paper Divas looked to another trend: nail art. At one station, manicurists decorated guests' nails in color-blocked styles.
At a soup and sandwich bar from Heirloom L.A. catering, color-blocked paper wrapped sandwiches on the buffet.
Jewel-toned pillows and a table runner accented in gold popped against a white furniture grouping.
Guests painted cookies with watercolor paints to illustrate the watercolor trend. Cookies came from Joanie and Leigh's Cakes.
Purple flowers in ombre arrangements ran the length of the cookie-decorating table.
The trend of chinoiserie is resurfacing, and Weiss accented an area of the party space with upturned parasols to offer an alternative take on the concept.
Complementing the hues of blue in the chinoiserie area of the party space were cocktails offered in varying shapes and sizes of feminine glassware.
Available in the Los Angeles area from Town & Country Event Rentals, the oversize brass, nickel, and bronze Moroccan hanging lamps add an exotic touch to event spaces. Pair the lamps with the company’s new Kaleidoscope line, a colorful collection of modern furniture.
